You Haven't Got the Guts
by wedontkilltheliving
Summary: What if there was another coma patient in the hospital who woke up before Rick? Natalie Adkins is on her way to Atlanta to find her family and the Dixons, picking up Rick from the hospital as he searches for his own family. Natalie is calculating everyone knows it but Rick who is blinded by the fact that without her he would be dead. Eventual DarylxOC. Rated M for language. AU
1. Ah'm Natalie

**A/N This is my first fanfic ever posted on here so be nice and review please!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead, anything on here that you recognize such as the plot, the characters and the ideas belong to AMC and Robert Kirkman. Thank you, I only own my OCs. **

**Rewritten as of July 4th**

Daryl Dixon drove up the small driveway to the Adkins-Dixon mechanics shop. He sighed as he got out of his crappy old pickup truck. He was exhausted, Merle had had company last night.

A man with specks of grey in his almost black hair walked forward to greet him. A young man appeared behind him, his dirty blond hair standing out among the other male workers.

"Hey there Daryl." The older man said and nodded towards a Harley Davidson motorcycle in one of the stalls. "Owners been complaining again. Said that Max did a bad job or something." The man beside him shook his head. The younger man was Max Adkins, John's oldest child.

Daryl shook his head and sighed as he headed over to the bike. He had only been working for a moment when there was the roar of an engine and the men abandoned their stalls to see what it was. A black '67 Chevy Impala was making its way up the small drive and Max had a loopy grin plastered to his face.

It came to a stop and a young woman walked out. She had shoulder blade length wavy brunette hair, was wearing dark washed Daisy Dukes and a grey crop top with huge aviator sunglasses on. Around her neck were dog tags. She scoffed at all the men and shook her head.

"Ah know ya guys aren't so excited to see me. So without further adieu, ah brought mah favorite people in the world presents from tha big city." She grinned and opened the trunk. She began pulling out six-packs of beers and handing them to the shop hands.

After she pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a new lighter to John who smiled in return. She pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her brother, whose eyes got huge.

"Ya bought me a damn hooker?" He looked disgusted but she laughed.

"Ah'm just kidding, God take a joke. Here." She tossed him a pair of steel toed work boots. "Where's Jack?"

She looked around the small group of men before John Hughes spoke up. "He moved to Atlanta with his family."

Scanning the crowd, she pulled out a flannel long sleeved shirt and sighed before tossing it to Daryl. "Ya must be his replacement. Ah'm Natalie."

"Daryl Dixon." He stated feeling uncomfortable. The other men smirked and elbowed him in the ribs. But Daryl knew that this girl was too good for him so he didn't say another word.

"Hows mah favorite corporal?" Max asked suddenly.

"Not a damn corporal anymore. Ah was discharged for 'misconduct'. All ah did was smack around my superior. Whateva. Ah was fine 'til ah stopped by Lucille's. Damn old bat just won't die already! She's all 'Why Natalie we ought to find ya a suitor before ya turn into an old maid. Ya know with that job of yours ya should be able to find a good boy'. Ah don't think that she should be talking about old maids and dying alone." She rolled her eyes and sat on the hood of her Impala.

"Ah know ah know darlin'. Now ah got ya a present." John disappeared into the small shack that was the waiting area.

She whistled quietly as she waited for John to return. When he did, he had a book in his hand and he tossed it to her. When she glanced at the cover she laughed. The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks stared up at her. Her father also placed a hunting knife beside her on the hood.

"Thanks Dad." She grinned and opened the book. "Ah have had way too much time with Grandmaw Lucille. Ah tried to watch Dawn of the Dead when ah thought was sleeping and she said that ah was a freak and it was no wonder ah didn't have a _suitor_. Ah swear to God ah do not want to return to Atlanta ever again to baby sit 'er."

"Thank God that Ma wasn't like 'er." Max said with a smile but then it disappeared a second later.

"Not that ah would know." She murmured. "Ah'm gonna go and take mah shit to the house."

John nodded and a moment later she was in her car driving down the driveway. She waved before turning onto the road.

Everyone was heading back to their stalls when suddenly there was a huge bang followed by a high pitched scream. "Mitchell call 911!" John screamed as he ran down the driveway. Max took one look at the road and all the men followed suit of John.

What they found was horrifying. The black Impala had been T-boned by a Ford F-250 and there was no movement from the young woman inside the smaller car. The small towns drunk, Billy Harts, stumbled out of the truck's cab and promptly began to throw up. With a yell of anger, John threw him to the ground and began to pummel his face with his fist. Max snarled but turned his attention to the Impala. His sister was lying with her head on the steering wheel, blood dripping from her forehead and her right side. Her breathing was rattled and she wasn't moving. Blood was gushing onto the book her father had given her. Daryl stared at the scene as an ambulance tore up the street and quickly took Natalie's body and Max before tearing away once again. John was still punching Billy's face until the man was coughing blood and only then did he get up.

There were tears in the man's eyes and he looked lost.

"Daryl, the truck. Take me ta tha hospital." John managed and the other men looked pissed. The girl had only known Daryl twenty minutes, but they had known her since she was a kid. But they said nothing as the baby blue truck went on its way to the hospital.

"She's in a coma." Max stated his voice monotone when he saw them. "They are taking her a hospital in King's County. Ah guess they're the closest hospital that can efficiently deal with 'er."

"Deal with 'er?" John asked his anger rising and he had reason to. King's County was a good hundred miles away.

"Ah know. Ah know Dad." Max murmured as he sank into one of the chairs in the waiting room. The TV was on and a news anchor was talking about an increase of rabies victims that were attacking other people in Florida.


	2. Atlanta Bound

**A/N I own nothing but my OCs as much as I would love to own The Walking Dead, I don't.**

**Rewritten as of July 4th**

**Two Months Later...**

Natalie rubbed her sleep from her eyes. "Dad?" She cried out but her voice was raspy from lack of water. "Max?"

She got up and her feet touched the freezing cold floor of her hospital room. Her family had been there a minute ago but now they were gone. Getting up, Natalie glanced out the window and gasped at what she saw. The loading dock of the hospital was covered in bodies with white sheets on them. A helicopter lay abandoned on the street in front of the hospital. It had come. The apocalypse was here. Struggling to the bathroom to get a drink of water, Natalie relieved her dry throat. Making her way to the door, she saw the note that had been left on the counter.

_Nat,_

_The apocalypse is here. I hate to leave you here, but I have to._

_You'll die no matter what we do darling._

_They said they would take you to Atlanta ASAP._

_If anyone is to survive the damn zombies though Nat, it's you._

_You were ready for this I know._

_Your brother and I are heading to Atlanta with the Dixons._

_You met Daryl Dixon the day of your accident._

_His brother Merle is here with us too._

_They said there are safe places in Atlanta._

_I left guns under your bed darlin._

_Don't use them unless ya have to though_

_We love you so much Nat._

_-John_

Relief flooded her as she read it but it brought tears to her eyes. Scrambling she grabbed the black bag from under her bed. She pulled out a Glock 17 police issued pistol and a Mossberg 590 shotgun. She decided she didn't want to know where they had come from. Underneath it was her collection of hunting knives with a small sheath. Left in the bag there was still about twenty boxes of ammunition as well as clothes, and it brought a smile to her face as she pulled out a pair of jeans, a black belt, combat boots, and a black Ramones t-shirt with her leather jacket and her dog tags.

Grinning, Natalie changed her clothes quickly and pulled open the door to her room. A food cart had been shoved in front of it and she quickly and quietly moved it away. She had to figure out if anyone was left.

Walking down the hallway slowly, her boots barely making a sound. The only zombies she saw were trapped behind a cafeteria door but locked only by a padlock. A block of wood was nearby so she quickly put it between the two handles.

She was so tired that she returned to her room and fell into a dreamless sleep. In the morning she would leave.

As Natalie prepared to leave, she heard the sound of someone's raspy breathing from one of the rooms. It had a hospital bed in front of it and she quickly moved it aside before opening the door.

"Hey!" She hissed at the sound of water running. A man's head popped out, his eyes boring into her.

"Nurse?" He muttered.

"They are all dead. What's that for?" She gestured to his bandage.

"I-I got shot." He murmured.

"Okay well then, there's a zombie apocalypse out there." She spoke calmly even as his eyes widened. "Ah know ah know it's hard to imagine but it's true. Ah was in a coma, woke up yesterday. We need to get ya out of here."

"I'm Rick Grimes." He stated unsure of himself.

"US Army Corporal Natalie Adkins." She was so used to saying the whole thing.

After a few moments, he was dressed with an old police uniform someone had left in the room. "Ya were a cop?"

"Yes, I got shot on duty." Rick stated as he emerged from the bathroom.

"Ah was on misconduct so ah was discharge and was visiting mah dad in the mountains, got in a car crash ah think. They're heading to Atlanta. That's where we oughta go."

"I need to see my family." Rick stated as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Okay. Let's go." She nodded and picked up her back and put it on her shoulder after tossing him the Glock. "Ya might need this. And shoot the head by the way."

They made their way to Rick's house where he had a breakdown. Screaming and pounding himself on the head. "They probably went to Atlanta." Natalie offered after a moment.

"Why? How do you know?" He asked, his brows furrowing together.

"Mah dad left me a note." She held up the small piece of paper. "We should get to tha police station. See if those things are there or not."

After a bit of quick searching, the two found a black Hummer 2 in a garage. Quickly getting in, the two sped down the street towards the station.

At the station, the two each took turns taking showers while the other one looked for clothes in the lockers.

They made their way to where the guns were and smiled when they found the rack full of weapons. Grinning like kids in a candy store, they each took half the guns and ammo before going into the small kitchen.

There were about five cans of corn, green beans, and baked beans. Everything else had gone bad. The smell was disgusting so they grabbed the cans and went back to where the beds were. Each ate a can of food and put the rest aside for the next day, when they would set off for Atlanta.

Natalie and Rick awoke at five in the morning promptly, and divided the three cans of food among themselves. "I never thought I would be so happy to eat unsalted canned corn." Rick remarked as he finished off his bowl.

Taking the few bottles of water that they had found, the two grabbed their bags of guns and hopped into a police cruiser. The Hummer had been nice, but it was gas guzzler.

"I'm looking for my wife, Lori, and my son Carl who's twelve. Lori was stunning, I mean I don't get why she would ever want to be with me. And Carl, he's smart and he'll protect his mother. But neither of them know how to shoot a gun, or have any means of protection." Rick shared after an hour of comfortable silence.

"Ah'm looking for mah dad, John, my brother, Max, and some employees of mah dads. Mah dad and brother are mechanics, they know how to protect themselves, but ah guess ah fear that they'll do something stupid, try to be heroic or something." She scoffed, it was so unlike her family to do anything for anyone who wasn't their family or their friends.

"What about your mom?" Rick asked glancing over to her.

"Abandoned me 'n mine when ah was a year old. Mah brother was five and he said that she was nice and then one day she just up and left. We neva knew why, but she just took her things and disappeared. So ah was raised in a mechanics shop." And with that the nice quiet was restored to the car, Rick driving and Natalie fiddling with her dog tags.

"We're out of gas." Rick stated a while later as he tapped the gas gauge but the needle was in the red. They pulled to a stop outside of a gas station and Natalie grabbed the red Jerry can. Walking, they came across a graveyard of cars. Bodies sat inside them, flies buzzing constantly around the bodies. There were knives in a tree which Natalie quickly took as well as looking for any gas. They found about a can full before Rick shot a little girl turned zombie.

"Oh mah god." Natalie gasped before looking around and pulling on Rick's sleeve. "We have to go. Something might have heard that."

And so they were driving again. When they reached the outskirts of Atlanta, Rick began to speak into the radio."Now entering Atlanta."

After a few vain attempts, Rick stopped and after a few moments they came to a stop.

"What?" Natalie asked, she had been staring out the window and the stop forced her gaze from looking at the forest to the right of her.

"We're out of gas again." Rick stated and she groaned.

"Damn it." The two tried the house for gas but all they found was a horse. Glancing at each other, they both hopped onto the horse and began towards Atlanta.

The highway was full of burned cars but they kept going anyway, knowing it was their only chance to see their families. They saw a few zombies inside a bus, making the small amount of doubt each of them had grow.

"Rick, ah don't know about this." Natalie stated, right before he took off, Natalie and the horse flying down the street.

They went right into a mass of the undead. Thousands were just standing there milling around. The horse reared sending its riders into the street. Rick dropped his bag but Natalie scrambled and grabbed it and hers just in time.

"THA TANK!" Natalie shouted as she crawled towards it. Masses tried to get at her as she ran and slid underneath the tank.

Pulling herself into the tank through a hole in the bottom, Natalie instantly saw the dead soldier. "Rick!"

He scrambled up into the tank and the two of them closed the bottom. Rick was panting when the soldier moved but a minute later had a knife up to its hilt in its brain. Seeing the hatch open on top of the tank, Natalie rushed to close it before a stray zombie got inside.

"Are you alright Natalie?" Rick asked as he wiped his brow.

"Yeah ah'm good. Are ya bit or scratched?"

"No. You?"

"Wouldn't of come back iffen ah was. We need to find a way out of here."

"Hey you. Dumbass. Hey you in the tank. Cozy in there?" A voice came through the static of the radio. Glancing at each other, Natalie picked up instantly.

"Hello?"


	3. Yer Merle?

**A/N Thank you to Demi187 and to Brazen Hussy for their reviews and Paper Grenade for following my story. They make my day. I know this chapter is short but the nest one will be longer I swear :) Diclaimer: I only own my OCs not The Walking Dead. R&R please! Thanks and enjoy chapter 3!**

**Rewritten as of July 4th**

Natalie and Rick sprinted towards the alley, shooting a few zombies on their way there. Panting and exhausted, the two ran into a young Asian man who yelled that he was alive. The three of them made their way up a fire escape and onto a small platform.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!" The man kept saying. After a moment they made their way up the ladder, across the buildings roofs, and into an alleyway.

Two men wearing sports gear spirited out and took off a few zombies before they all ran inside.

A blond woman grabbed Rick and shoved him against a wall roughly. "You rang the dinner bell! Because of you two we are all going to die!" She snarled. But she didn't know that she had the safety on which made Natalie smirk.

After a few tense seconds the woman pulled herself away. Suddenly bullets rang out and they all swore. "Is that Dixon?" The woman gasped before they ran up the stairs to the roof of the building.

A middle-aged man stood there with a rifle in his hands shooting stray zombies in the street.

"Dixon! Knock it off! Merle you're going to get us killed, man!" A large black man complained.

To everyone's surprise Natalie looked hopeful instead of doubtful. "Merle? Merle Dixon?"

"Sorry darlin' if we bumped uglies ah'm afraid ah forgot. But ah must say not many hookers remember ol' Merle's name." He drawled but she shook her head disgusted.

"Sorry, no. Is John Adkins still with ya? Max? Yer brother?" She pleaded.

"Ah know 'em, how do ya know 'em?" He squinted as he walked over to her.

"John's mah dad, Max mah brother and ah met Daryl the day of mah accident." Everyone looked around. No one went near those rednecks.

"Yew Natalie?" She nodded at his question and he nodded. "They're all fine."

"Thank God." She murmured looking over the city. Zombies roamed the streets.

"Army women are usually ugly, ah thought ya was a corporal or some shit."

"Guilty." Andrea looked up at that.

"Are you with a group?" she asked hopefully.

"Ah'm 'fraid not, ah was on discharge. Then ah was in a car accident and was in a coma."

"Sorry to break up this family reunion but we need to get out of here." Glenn broke in as he glanced around looking nervous.

"And how do we do that?" Rick asked.

"All old buildings like these oughta have a way out to the street." Jacqui was stating. "Natalie and Merle will stay up here; try to reach camp with the radio and we'll go investigate."

Natalie and Merle tried the radio repeatedly but they didn't get very at with it. Soon the people came back upstairs to the roof and they sat there for a moment.

"There's a cube van at that construction site. They usually keep keys on hand." Rick stated. "Now how to get there."

"Guts!" Natalie piped up suddenly and everyone stared at her. "Zombies only eat what's living. Have ya ever seen a zombie eating another zombie? No because they can smell what's living and what's dead. We cover ourselves with guts, and bingo we can make our way to a car or something to drive them off. An alarm or something'll draw them away." As soon as she said it, Natalie realized that was something only she would say.

"Me and Glenn." Rick stated but Glenn looked nervous and uneasy.

"No, Glenn has already helped us out today. Ah'll go." Natalie offered, stepping up. "'Sides if ya want somethin' done, do it yerself."

"And what will ah tell yer family if ya die?" Merle grabbed her arm and pulled her backwards.

"Ya won't tell them anything if we all die. It's worth a chance. Ah'll go with Rick, its our fault we're in this predicament, we'll get us all out and home." Natalie argued, pushing Merle away and stepping forward again.

"We're at the quarry about ten miles away." Glenn offered.

"Bellwood Quarry?" Natalie asked and received curt nods from most of the group.

"Alright." Rick stated. "Let's get us a zombie."

They made their way downstairs and were soon each covered in guts of a zombie. The smell was horrific and made all their stomachs queasy.

"Natalie. Ya be safe now, ya hear?" Merle snarled glaring at the rest of the group.

"Ah will." She reassured him trying to her best to look hopeful.

Breathing slowly and trying not to hyperventilate, Rick and Natalie made their way down the street. They were almost there when suddenly a cloud of rain erupted and began to wash away the scent. Turning to face the other, they saw fear plastered all over their faces. "RUN!"

Sprinting forward, Natalie and Rick scaled the fence and tracked down the key to the van. Speeding away, each of their heart erupting with relief, they pulled up to a red Dodge Challenger. Natalie broke the window and was soon driving away, her joyful screams filling the air as zombies chased after her.

After she was safely away, Natalie hopped out and stopped the wailing car.

Flying up the path to the quarry, Natalie grinned smugly. She was home. Climbing out of the car, she glanced around the camp. A man with long black hair and a tight t-shirt on ran towards her, his shotgun identical to hers.

"What the hell? Who the hell are you? How did you know we were here?" He bellowed as more men came closer. An older man with a Remington 700 ran forward, and familiar man with a shovel ran forward and she smirked. A shovel? Really Jim, a shovel?

Another man ran forward with a shotgun but it was immediately dropped.

"Hiya Daddy." She stated innocently enough but that was enough to have the weapons raised higher. "This is some nice southern hospitality ain't it?"


	4. Payback's A Bitch

**A/N Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed me and my story. Please R&R! You guys make my day! Disclaimer: I only own my OCs, sadly not the Walking Dead. **

**By the way John would be played by Liam Nesson, Max would be played by Joel Kinnaman and I'm not sure of Natalie yet so give me a review as of who you think she would look most like. Thanks!**

**Rewritten as of July 4th**

John visibly relaxed and ran his hand through his hair as his daughter turned to his former employee. "A shovel, Jim? Really? Thought ya were smarter than _that_."

Then the cube van came up and everyone piled out except for Rick. Everyone looked confused and uneasy. Merle was chuckling as he slung an arm over John Adkins.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Natalie helped us, why are you going to shoot her?" Glenn came forward and from behind his back, she smirked.

"She's here with a gun in my face!" Shane snapped, completely disregarding her connection to one of the members of the group.

"Oh y'all are the ones with tha guns in mah face!" Natalie barked as she leaned against the muscle car. Suddenly there were screams of joy and a little boy threw himself into Rick's arms as a brunette woman ran after them. Shane looked on in disbelief and shock, allowing Natalie to walk over to her father.

"Daddy, ah must say, ya have some style."

"Yer brother picked those out." He grumbled. Merle laughed loudly and wandered over to his small campsite.

"God, maybe ya didn't raise him right. Ah'm kidding ah'm kidding Daddy." She smiled rested her head on her father's shoulder when he gave her a disgusted look.

"Ah missed ya. I thought that they were really going to transfer ya." He mumbled but she glanced up at him.

"Thank God that they didn't." She shuddered at the thought of being transferred, comatose mind you, into a city full of the dead.

"Max and Daryl are out hunting." John said after a moment when he noticed her looking around hopefully.

That night as the main group sat together around one fire, Natalie took note that her father, Merle and her were not the only ones sitting at their own fire. A family of three sat together slightly away from the group, and a handful of people away from the rest of the group.

"When will they be back?" Natalie asked after a few moments. She was used to it being her, her father and Max but with only half the group it felt weird.

"Tamorra proly. Who knows?" He stated. He was not a talker just like Daryl.

Natalie finished off her beans without a word and placed the tin can on the ground. "Come on, let's go ta bed."

She slept on her brother's cot but not before noting how smelly it was. In the morning she was up bright and early only to be cornered by Shane when she went to wander around the makeshift camp.

"So you've gotta know what it means to have someone be in charge. I want your guns, I don't trust you no matter what Rick says." His eyes had a dangerous glint in them but she shrugged it off.

"Uh fuck no." She stated and walked past him, bumping his shoulder as she went. "Ah ain't anybody's bitch."

Natalie returned to the redneck's area and sat down on a rock to clean her gun when suddenly there were screams of children and Natalie was up once again, her hunting knife in hand sprinting to where the kids had run from.

She saw a zombie feasting on a deer that had several crossbow bolts protruding from it. As the men attacked it with shovels, she stepped forward and shoved her knife up to the hilt in the things head and twisted roughly. It fell to the ground limp and the men stared at her as she pulled the knife out and wiped the blackish blood on her jeans.

"What?" She snarled looking around at them.

There was rustling in the woods behind them and they raised their weapons only for Max and Daryl to come out looking pissed.

"Ah think ya lost yer deer." Natalie stated matter of factly and Daryl's eyes gleamed murderously. They shifted when they saw her and he smirked.

The people looked up in time to see the new young woman throw herself into Max's muscular arms. "Max!"

She stood there for a moment staring into her brother's eyes. Within the brown orbs were happiness, relief, and regret. She pulled herself away from her brother and with tears in her eyes hugged Daryl briefly. She noted that he tensed up so she separated ten seconds later.

"So Max ah was told that ya are quite the stylist, picking outfits for me? Maybe Daddy didn't raise ya right." She was grinning and he knew that she was joking.

"Ah've still slept with more people then ya." He teased but she grinned.

"Ah wouldn't be so sure, big brutha. That was 'fore ah went into the army last time." She taunted back.

"Ya sound like a slut."

"Well at least ah'm not a man-whore." Natalie retorted with a laugh. This was a long standing argument between the siblings. "Guess what?" Max raised his eyebrows so she continued. "Ah met a guy in the hospital. His family is oh dear lord, uh Lori 'n uh Carl. But anyways, we had to cover ourselves with zombie guts and walk through the streets. Oh mah lord and ah finally figured out what the inside of an eyeball looks like. Ah cut it open when no one was looking. It was sweet." Max laughed at the look in her eyes of pure happiness.

"Good, ah know that ya've always wanted ta do that." Max laughed as she led them back to the small campfire. Daryl glanced around uncomfortably. Had she hugged him because she actually cared about him, or because it was a spur of the moment thing? Damn girls were confusing.

Later, Natalie helped Daryl skin the squirrels when suddenly Shane appeared. Max and John were cleaning their guns and Merle was off smoking some shit. They all looked up at the cop before scoffing and continuing to work.

"Natalie." Shane began which got everyone in camps attention. "Rick told me you were out of the army on discharge for misconduct, care telling me what that means?"

"I don't _care_ to tell you." She stated and smirked.

"I don't care, you tell me now or you can leave."

"And what take your only sources if fresh food and most of your protection with me?" She knew she had the upper hand because he couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't make her leave not after her and Rick and as an added bonus he couldn't hit her. And as expected Shane still stood there as Lori walked up to him.

"What's yer little whore gonna do about it? Yeah that's right ah heard about yer little _rendezvous_ in the woods. How ya leapt inta his pants the second ya found out Rick was 'dead'. Yeah ah know about that too." She remarked before shaking her head. "Rick's a good guy, ya outta treat 'em like one."

What she didn't expect was Shane grabbing her by the shirt and throwing her across the small camp. She fell on one of the logs that they sat on and grunted loudly. Pain radiated through her chest but her adrenaline was pumping and she had decided to fight. At this point her little 'family' had gotten up and each was spitting mad.

Rick sprinted up and grabbed Max before he could whip Shane in the head with a tire iron. Max kicked Rick in the spleen but at this point T-Dog, Glenn, Dale and a few others had run forward. T-Dog grabbed John as Dale whacked Merle in the head with Jim's shovel. Shane had gotten up and he and Rick held onto Daryl as T-Dog held John. Max was kneeling beside his sister when Glenn came along with a wrench and hit him in the head. At this point Natalie had recovered enough and picked herself up. Seeing no men that could _really_ stop her, she grabbed the tire iron and sprinting forward slammed it into Shane's head.

Throwing the iron down, Natalie held her ribs just before Lori came over in a moment of heroics clocked Natalie in the side of the head with a shotgun. Rick pistol whipped Daryl and he fell like a sack of potatoes.

When Natalie awoke her head ached like a bitch as she tried to figure out where she was. No one had bothered to move the injured rednecks so there they laid where they fell in a mess of arms and legs.

"MOTHERFUCKER!" She snarled as she put her hand to her head and came back with dried blood. Her breath hurt as well as her chest and when she sat up she had to sit up straight or it hurt.

"Daryl?" She groaned as he rubbed his head and sat up.

"Tha fuck?" He swore as he saw Max's arm draped over his thighs. Laughing for a second before grabbing her ribs, Natalie gasped.

Merle and her father were stirring but Natalie licked her lips and looked smug.

"Why're ya so happy?" Merle asked as he stood up. Max's leg had been on his chest. That idiot had branched out like a fucking tree.

"Oh ah don't know, 'cause paybacks a bitch. 'n revenge is a dish best served cold. We wait we figure out how things work 'round here 'n we rob these _pigs_ blind." She cracked her knuckles for emphasis. "Besides, ah can't do anymore fighting' with bruised ribs. Damn log." She snarled and stood up brushing dirt from her clothes.


	5. Ah'll Be There

**A/N Disclaimer: I only own my OCs, and not The Walking Dead. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed.**

Before going to bed, Natalie stripped off her sweat and blood covered clothes and put on what had once been a long sleeve flannel button up of hers with the sleeves cut off. Her brother and Daryl both wore them and Merle and her father wore wife beaters. In the morning, Natalie went down to the quarry and was washing her hair when the other women were washing clothes.

Their conversation carried over the water and Natalie could hear everything that they were saying.

"So Amy, whose the guy you like?" Jacqui was asking.

"Max." The women laughed and hooted as she licked her lips.

Suddenly Ed came over. "Somethin' funny?"

"Just swapping war stories Ed." Andrea replied saucily. Ed just grabbed Carol's arm and dragged her towards him. Sensing the growing tension, Natalie got up slowly and began to walk forward to where they were.

When Carol paused and looked timidly at Ed, he slapped her. Natalie saw red and kicked him in the crotch and as he fell to his knees; her boot caught him in the chest pressing him into the dirt. She sat on top of his chest, her fists pummeling his piggish face. Her spat up blood as his face swelled up and she smirked when his nose popped open, broken, and streams of red flowed easily out.

Shane and Rick had seen and were sprinting down to the quarry. Content with herself, Natalie stood up and spat on him before stalking back up to camp alone.

"Hey Daryl." She remarked as she plopped down beside him. "The younger blonde thinks Max is hot."

"What's with yer shirt?" He asked gesturing to Ed's blood that covered her knuckles and her white t-shirt.

"Ed hit his wife. Ah took 'em down." She shrugged it off and Daryl just grunted. That was when she noticed the shirt he was wearing, the orange checkered one that she had given him. "Ya are wearing the shirt!"

"It's a good shirt." He replied as he began to clean his crossbow.

Shane suddenly walked over with Rick and they stared at them.

"The hell ya want?" Natalie snarled as she fingered her knife that was in her boot.

"Why were you discharged Natalie?" Rick asked his eyes pleading with her to just tell them so it would be over with.

"Well ah am only gonna say this once." She growled. "Well ah was in Afghan and then mah superior said that ah probably couldn't fight mah way out of a paper bag. So ah nailed him on the head with a piece of metal and punched him 'til he had a broken nose 'n' a concussion."

"Like Ed probably does." Shane stated running a hand through his hair.

"Ah would hope so." She muttered as she cleaned her knife.

"We are not going to tolerate that type of behavior here." Shane barked as he gazed down at her. Feeling uncomfortable by how Shane was standing above her, Natalie stood up and almost to attention. Daryl stood behind her, no doubt feeling the same way.

She raised her shirt up slightly to reveal her ribs that were covered in dark bruises. "Well ah don't tolerate that type of behavior here." She gestured around her small camp.

"You follow our rules or you leave, simple as that. And after you leave we can't be accountable for what happens to you." Shane threatened darkly his eyes glistening.

"Oh 'n what will ya do Shane? Huh?" Natalie took a step closer to him.

"Keep you from harming anyone else." Rick piped up finally.

"Glad ya found yer balls Rick." She sneered and rocked back on her heels. "Ya know Shane has been leaving his places they don't _belong_."

Shane turned on his heel and stormed out of the small makeshift camp, away from the smug soldier.

That evening, Merle and Max came into camp high as could be. John was busy cleaning up his gun and working on the cars to notice much of what was going on. Merle bet that Daryl was better at his crossbow and Max that Natalie was better with her knives. Their younger siblings' talents were their pride as each took every chance to show their proteges off to others. And this was ideal.

The target was a stump about twenty feet away and the bulls eye was a small knot in the wood. Natalie grinned as she took out her knife. They each had one shot to hit it. Daryl went right on with his bolt but Natalie's knife went so fast it split the bolt into two.

Cackling Max went over to Merle and took his favorite hunting knife away from him and handed it to Natalie. Merle pouted like a baby as everyone who saw laughed.

John wandered over at the sound of laughter and shook his head. Only his dysfunctional family. Only his.

In the morning, Glenn came over to tell her that he was going scavenging and if she needed anything.

"Daddy, ah'm gonna go scavenge with Glenn alright?" She called across but got a small nod in response after a moment.

They had reached a small department store and after clearing out a few geeks they made their down ransacked isles. Natalie found new shirts; one with AC DC on the front, and three flannel shirts she could cut. Also she found new pairs of Daisy Dukes and skinny jeans. She found a few shirts for her brother and Daryl as well as wife beaters for Merle and John. In one of the back isles she shoved bras and underwear into her bag.

Loading up shirts and pants for the group, Natalie wasn't really looking about what size they were. Pulling out a new pair of combat boots, Natalie took them too.

Her and Glenn piled into the car and drove back in comfortable silence.

Hopping out of the car, Natalie walked over to her family. Dropping the bags for them in front of Merle she walked over to the crappy old spare tent that the Dixons had brought and threw hers inside before going to sit next to her brother.

Merle approached a moment later and told Max that he needed help with something. Probably to get high. Natalie sighed and shook her head before moving beside her father.

"The damn deputies were lookin' fer ya." He stated right as she sat down. Groaning, Natalie stood up and walked over to where Rick was standing. She placed her hands on her waist and raised her eyebrows.

"Ya rang?" She snapped after a few seconds. Rick looked up and smiled.

"Glenn, Andrea and I are heading into the city to get more clothes and food. We didn't get enough today and I know you like to do things for yourself, so we were wondering if you could come with us." Rick stated as he wiped sweat from his brow.

"Uh yeah ah guess. When are ya goin'?" She asked as she pulled out a knife.

"Tomorrow morning." Glenn piped up from on top of the RV.

"Alright, ah'll be there." Natalie stated as she walked back to her camp, not seeing the look Shane and Andrea shared.

In the morning, Natalie awoke, cleaned her guns and knives, put a few boxes of ammo into a small pack of hers, ate a breakfast of dry Wheaties and got dressed all before the others were up. She was lounging when Rick asked if she was ready. Nodding, Natalie kissed her father on his cheek and hugged her brother before she hopped into the box truck that they had taken on the last trip.

The group made it to the city, and were packing up bags to leave the drugstore they had been in when suddenly Andrea pointed out that there was another store a few buildings away that didn't look ransacked. They headed there quickly, Natalie dispatching a single geek on the way.

They made it to the roof of the building and were reorganizing things when Andrea noticed the can that Natalie hadn't put into the pile.

"Hey why's this still in your bag?" She asked her tone accusatory.

"Because it can. 'Sides it's a damn can of dog food, hell it's used as bait for hunting." Natalie snarled and grabbed the can from Andrea who snatched it back. Natalie's temper snapped and she slapped Andrea. Hard. The sound filled the tense air and soon everyone stared at her with wide eyes. Ripping the can from Andrea's grasp and shoving it in her pack and grabbing her gun, Natalie walked over to the edge of the roof.

"Natalie, that was not okay." Rick stated and Natalie scoffed. What was she five?

"Ah can do what the hell ah want with mah stuff. 'Sides ya oughta be more polite to a woman with a gun. Anybody disagree?" She growled as though asking them to threaten her. She hopped off after a moment and walked over to where they were standing. "Nobody? Good. Ah knew ya'll didn't have the balls ta-"

Andrea came out of nowhere and punched her in the jaw. Preparing to fight, Natalie's arm curved back and Rick grabbed it, handcuffing her to a pipe.

"Oh come on!" She barked in protest. Suddenly a shot rang out, Andrea had fired one round from her gun.

"Andrea!" Glenn cried loudly.

"Come on we've gotta get out of here!" Natalie cried, forgetting her predicament for a second. Rick spun around to take the handcuffs off but he slipped and the key fell off the side of the building.

Screaming, Natalie ordered them to come back for her. Pausing at the door, Rick screamed that he was sorry and then he used a chain and padlock to keep the door closed.

Natalie screamed repeatedly over and over again that they couldn't leave her like an animal until her throat was sore. The heat and exposure of the day burned into her brunette head, and she ducked under the pipes to at least try to get away from the sun's burning rays.

**A/N Let me know how you feel about Natalie getting left on the roof instead of Merle.**

**I'm not sure of Natalie yet so give me a review as of who you think she would look most like. Thanks!**


	6. On Mah Own

**I'm not sure of Natalie yet so give me a review as of who you think she would look most like. Thanks!**

**A/N I wasn't really sure where to go with this part so I hope you like what I did do. Please R&R! Disclaimer: I only own my OCs, and not the Walking Dead**

**Rewritten as of July 4th**

"MERLE! MAX! DARYL! DADDY!" As Natalie called their names, her voice broke out into a sob. She was going to die here, left by the man whose life she had undoubtedly saved. Somewhere beneath her was the sound of breaking glass. After a few moments, Natalie pressed her hand to her mouth as geek hands stretched through the door but couldn't enter.

"It's only a matter of time before they come looking." She assured herself.

"Ah'll bake 'em a cake with pink frostin'. Ain't anybody comin' to get ya. Yer on yer own." Her other half snarled.

"John, Max, Merle, Daryl?" She whimpered.

"Not if they care 'bout gettin' themselves safe. Ah guess ya can't even depend on yer family these days." Natalie barked as she slapped herself on the head repeatedly. She needed to be focused if she was going to get out. "When ya get back ta camp yer gonna kill all of 'em."

She pulled on the handcuffs even though she knew they weren't going to break. Bracing the pipe with her feet, Natalie tried vainly to break the pipe but it remained intact. Tears streaked down her face as her head began to overheat. Her hair was down and the hot rays were burning her brunette scalp. Her clothes were drenched in sweat, her bag lying on the group a few feet away from her, too far for her to reach.

Suddenly there were noises from below, voices. She screamed once trying to get their attention. After a moment the geeks that were at the door disappeared and a pair of bolt cutters reached through and cut the chain.

A Hispanic teenager walked through, wearing a wife beater and worn down pants. Behind him came another Hispanic, this one was older though and was wearing a plaid shirt. He was bald and had black facial hair.

"Corporal Adkins?" The older man asked and Natalie beamed. It was Felipe, he was a nurse at the nursing home where her grandma Lucille lived.

"Felipe. Ya wanna cut these damn handcuffs offa me?" Felipe grinned and strode over to her and cut the chain that held the handcuffs together with his bolt cutters. It left the cuff on her wrist as a remainder, and she would wear it there from now on.

"Why're you up here Adkins?" He asked as she gathered her things together. Natalie clutched her shotgun in her hands as she stood up. Her pack was on her back and so was the damn can of dog food.

"Mah group left me fer dead. Motherfucking _pigs_, ya should neva trust 'em." She snarled as they made their way down the stairwell. "Lucille?"

"We uh ran out of her medicine first. We didn't want her to go through withdrawal so we-" Felipe had been looking guilty but Natalie put her hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you. Ya did the right thing." She told him and he sighed. "Is it just the two of ya?"

"Nah we're set up at the nursing home and the factory. The vatos are with us, most filter in and stay. We're workin' on cars, try'n ta get them out of the city, put its just a pipe dream, most of 'em can't even go to the bathroom by themselves."

They had made it to the old factory and Guillermo walked outside and smiled in recognition. "Corporal Adkins?"

"G, thank ya fer Lucille. Ah was left on a roof by mah group. Kin ah stay here fer the night? Ah'll head out first light tomorrow, its just too late to go back now." She prayed that he would let her stay and when he nodded she grinned. "Thank ya."

They walked inside and the guys hooted and hollered at the sight of a woman but G ordered them to stop. They made their way to the nursing home and G and the young man left.

Felipe gave her an empty room at the nursing home, a bottle of water, and a can of corn before leaving her. Natalie sat on her bed and stared up at the wall. She smiled at the thought of what the guys would do when they found out that she had been left behind.

* * *

Amy ran to Andrea, Carl ran to Rick, and everyone patted Glenn on the back. But Natalie was no where to be seen. The Adkins and the Dixons got up slowly when they heard the van come up and placed their things down to go see what Natalie had brought them.

But when they made it up there, they didn't see her so they figured she must be getting something or was in the RV.

"Yo Natalie get yer ass out here!" Max yelled. Cautiously everyone turned to face the four men. No one wanted to speak or even look at the rednecks in fear that they would do something drastic.

"There uh was a uh situation in Atlanta. Natalie got left behind." Rick stated after a moment.

"She dead?" John asked looking at the ground.

"Not sure." Was the careful reply from the sheriff.

"What do ya mean 'not sure?' Mah baby sister is either dead or she ain't, there ain't no in between." Max growled as he stalked forward.

"She was out of hand and we handcuffed to a pipe." Glenn muttered.

"And ya left her there?" Merle barked. When they got no reply, each got even more pissed off.

"Hold on. Let me process this. Y'all handcuffed Natalie to a roof and ya left her there?" Daryl shouted as he paced.

"I had the key. I-I dropped it." Rick told them.

"And ya couldn't pick it up?" John bellowed as he strode forward and stood toe and toe with Rick.

"I dropped it off the side of the building." Something within John snapped and he grabbed Rick, flung him against the side of the RV and sat on his chest as he pummeled his fists into the exposed face.

When Shane tried to step forward, Merle grabbed him and after a few seconds of fighting, Merle kicked, punched and ripped at the man.

Max was grabbed by T-Dog when he tried to grab Glenn, and the two of them fell into fighting.

Daryl grabbed Glenn and kicked him in the stomach until he fell into the dirt in a fetal position. But Daryl kept kicking and punching the smaller man until Jim tried to pull him off. With a geek like snarl, Daryl set upon the lean man and threw him into a tree, stopping all other attempts to help the campers.

Blood flowed into the dirt making mud in front of the women and children who screamed and cried.

"Rick!" Lori shrieked.

"Shane!" Andrea yelled.

"T-Dog!" Jacqui howled.

"Glenn!" Amy wailed.

After about ten minutes of beating the shit out of the campers, the rednecks stood up and spat on their victims and strode away. In the morning they would get their member of their family. It was dark now, too dark and no one would tell them where she was.


	7. Brian

**A/N Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed, and favorited me and my story! Thanks. This chapter has characters (their personalities are different though) from Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga's book Rise of the Governor. Disclaimer: I only own my OCs and not The Walking Dead or Rise of the Governor, sadly.**

After a night of fitful sleeping, Natalie woke up and wiping her eyes, grabbed her gun. Exiting her room she ran into G who wished her luck and she wished him luck before she grabbed her pack and leaving.

Walking down the street, Natalie looked for a good car to take. She grinned when she found an orange Porsche convertible boxster, her favorite sports car since she was thirteen, well besides her Impala.

Disabling the alarm, Natalie broke the window and climbing into the car tore down the abandoned road yelling and screaming with joy as she went seventy miles per hour. Entering the highway, Natalie took note of what she should do. The camp needed to be punished for what they did to her.

Natalie slowed down as she saw a car going slowly down the street. There was a small clump of broken down cars, so Natalie went slowly into the pile and laid down in the car to avoid being seen.

Three men exited the vehicle a ways away from where she was and two began conversing while the other walked over to the trunk of the car.

"Nick, ya think there's still people in the city?" The more timid man asked.

"There's someone somewhere Brian." The man, Nick, stated as he looked around him.

"Since ya know so much about this damn world Nick, is there any booze left?" The third man asked from the car.

"Oh hell ya." The man laughed making Natalie's insides turn with nervousness. The two men began to walk forward and began to sift through the cars. Swearing quietly, Natalie grabbed her gun and waited until they passed by the car.

"When we find some bitches, I don't care if I have to kill fer 'em, I am gonna have some." The man, Nick said as the two walked around the cars.

As the men passed, the passenger side door of the car opened and Natalie was roughly grabbed by the shoulders and pulled over the center console of the car. She turned to shoot her gun but it was yanked from her grasp. A man stood there and held her roughly in front of him. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked exhausted.

"Whoa there Phillip! Ya found us a bitch!" Nick clapped his hands and licked his lips.

"No." The man, Phillip, spoke sternly. "I found Penny _dinner_."

Natalie watched as everyone's eyes shifted over to the truck. "I don't think Penny'll mind though if we have fun with her first though, Phillip."

"Nick, don't." Brian spoke up. He had a pale complexion and light brown hair with blue eyes.

"Shut the fuck up Brian. Don't you want to use a real girl instead of your left hand for once? Yeah I've seen you do it." Nick snarled and walked forward smiling at Natalie. She spat on him and smirked. Nick's face scrunched up and he slapped her on the face. Hard.

Nick kicked her in the ribs. Natalie gasped and tried to hold her stomach but the man's arms were holding her hands. "Let me go ya assholes!"

* * *

Daryl sat outside his tent waiting for dawn to break so they could go get Natalie. He didn't know where he stood with her, she seemed nice to him but that might just be because she had to to and her family liked him. That idiot Glenn was keeping watch and Daryl wanted nothing more than to kick his ass again.

Suddenly there was a loud scream from the woods followed by another and another. "GEEKS!" Glenn shouted. The rednecks sprinted beside the RV so they would only be attacked by one side.

Max sprinted forward when a geek grabbed his father, and blasted the things head off. No one saw the geek come up behind him and bite him in the neck, killing him instantly. Screaming with anger and fear, the Dixons shot the last of the geeks. John was bleeding from his side and they all saw the bite.

Pretending not to see it, Merle asked him for Max's knife but raised her shotgun and blasted John in the head. Daryl raised his shotgun and looked down at Max's face for a second before pulling the trigger. Each brother stared at the carnage of their 'family' and it hit them that Natalie, chained to a roof, didn't know. Because of the damn group, the entire remains of the Adkins family could have been erased in a matter of 24 hours.

The men pickaxed the dead campers heads in and threw them into a fire. As the other campers buried their own, the Dixons burned John and Max Adkins bodies, knowing it was what Natalie would have wanted for her family. Rick the Dick as Merle began to call him walked over and told them that they were heading to the CDC since one of theirs had been bitten.

The Dixons agreed to go as far as Atlanta so they could get Natalie from the roof then figure out what to do.

* * *

Natalie laid on her side in the dirt, her jeans soiled in the dirt and only moments ago had been forced off of her. Her shirt was ripped but she managed to put it back on. Nick laid beside her in the dirt panting when the sound of cars came from nowhere. Nick placed his sweaty hand over her mouth as a procession of old cars went by, the Dixons shitty truck last. Natalie screamed into the hand but was kicked in the ribs silencing her. Natalie's hands had been tied together making it hard for her to do anything.

When the procession had gone by and Natalie's tears drenched her face, Nick removed his hand. They had left her. Natalie gasped for breath as Nick walked away from her. Phillip came out with something in his hands, a little girl who had turned into a geek. Natalie felt like mush as she realized that she was going to be fed to this _thing_.

After a few attempts Natalie stood up and her legs felt like mush. Suddenly Brian came out and saw them. He looked panicked as though he didn't know what to do. Phillip suddenly began to release Penny and then he had a bullet in his head. Nick stood beside him with the smoking gun in his hands and overcome with rage, Brian shot Nick. Natalie cried out as Penny ran forward but Brian grabbed the girl in time and wrestled her head into a bag and put her in the trunk of the car.

Pacing slightly Brian suddenly ran forward and cut the ropes on her arms. "Go on, get outta here!" He shouted at her.

"Thank ya." She gently kissed his cheek and walked back to her car. Climbing in, Natalie sped in the direction that the caravan had gone in. This was all that bitch Andrea's fault and she oh she was gonna pay. And no one could stop her.

******I'm not sure of Natalie yet so give me a review as of who you think she would look most like. Thanks!**


	8. They Dead?

**A/N What does Natalie look like? Give me a review please!**

**Rewritten as of July 6th**

Natalie found them pulled over on the side of the road. She climbed out about two hundred away due to low gas and walked forward. She neared them just as they began to bring chairs out. Smirking she walked right up beside Andrea and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

The blonde turned slowly and was met with the eyes of a woman she thought was dead.

Blood stained Natalie's inner legs and her shorts were ripped and dripping blood. Her tank top had been shredded and there were bloody circles on her wrists. The men's blood and chunks of their flesh clung her to chest and dirt and grime covered her face. Her dog tags remained though along with the handcuff, but her neck was slowly bleeding from cuts from it being pulled.

Natalie reached back and punched the blonde right in the face. Kicking her, the former corporal followed her victim slowly as though she was stalking her prey.

Everyone watched in baited horror. The brunette looked like she had been through shit and obviously wasn't even well enough to fight yet.

Repeatedly Natalie kneed Andrea in her exposed stomach before slamming the blonde into the side of the RV, knocking her out.

Shane ran up to her to grab her and get her to stop kicking Andrea's unconscious form when she turned on him. Natalie snapped and when Shane turned slightly kicked him in the back of the knee so he fell onto the pavement, hard.

She grabbed her Glock 17 and as he turned to grab her she hit him over the head with it.

She looked around for a familiar face but the crowd was absent of any member of the Adkins-Dixon family. The truck was all that remained of them.

"Where's mah family?" She looked confused. She had been too far away when the camp had been attacked to have heard.

When no one answered she began to pace. No one knew what to do. The Dixons, Rick and Glenn were all in Atlanta looking for her and her father and brother were dead. She bit her lip before she spoke. "They dead?"

"Your father and brother yes." Dale said from on top of the RV.

"And the otha half o' mah family?" She asked as she ran her hand through her hair. She had lost a lot of people when she was in the army and knew how to handle it. She would cry when she had her remaining family back.

"Looking for you. They should be back soon." Dale assured her.

"Jim?" She asked, wanting to know about the man that had worked for her father for so long. Dale shook his head making her close her eyes and sigh.

Without a word the woman turned and began to walk forward to where the truck sat in front of the others facing Atlanta. No one knew what she going to do as she climbed into the bed and sat on top of the cab. She resembled a dog waiting for its owner to return.

After a bit she searched the glove compartment and found a pack of cigarettes. Climbing back to her perch she began to smoke them until she saw the car in the distance she smirked. They were back.

They pulled up and Natalie instantly noticed that Glenn and Rick sat in the back and that their faces were bruised and slightly bloody. The Dixons looked normal and she grinned as she saw them emerge from the car. It was time to move on. At least from the revenge on the pair. Rick announced they were going to continue on driving so everyone went either to their car or the RV.

Walking over to the truck, Merle hopped into the drivers seat, Daryl the passenger seat and Natalie laid down with her head in Daryl's lap and her feet in Merle's.

"Did ya keep 'em from comin' back?" She asked suddenly and Daryl nodded slowly. "Thank ya. Hey Daryl?"

"What?" He grunted looking out the window and avoiding her beautiful battered face.

"Did y'all bring mah shit with ya?"

He jerked his head to the back of the truck where her bag was nestled in with Merle's bike. Natalie sighed, the only things in that bag of hers were her underwear and hair brush.

"Remember the day of mah accident when ah mentioned mah grandmaw Lucille? She saved mah life. Well two men who worked at her nursing home did. They found me."

"They rough mah sweet thang up?" Merle asked his blood boiling. The young woman was like his sister.

She laughed humorlessly. "Nah that was due to some psychos on the road who thought their kid was still alive, naw damn bitch was a geek. They were gonna feed _me_ to _it_." She drifted off as she spoke until she was staring at Daryl's face. She saw his jaw clench and knowing that him and Merle were there and would keep her safe she fell asleep.

When she awoke she forgot where she was so she arched her back, pushing her head into Daryl's thigh and moved her shoulder and dug her heels into Merle's thigh.

When she opened her eyes she looked confused. She didn't know where she was and Daryl was slightly envious until the puzzled look was replaced with a stoic expression when she remembered what had happened.

"Sorry." She mumbled as she sat up and got into center seat.

"It's alright." Merle said and patted her on the back.

"Do y'all know if those morning after pills work?" She asked suddenly and they each glanced over at her.

"Hell, yeah ah've have _plenty_ of bitches who needed 'em." Merle nodded with a grin.

"Thank god." She rubbed her temples and went to move her leg but pain erupted in her inner thigh. She gasped and clutched Daryl's arm as she waited for it to pass. "Sorry."

"Stop apologizing, its fine." He assured her as she separated from him.

"We have to rip these damn bastards apart." She stated gesturing at the caravan of cars.

Dale glanced out the RV and saw perhaps the scariest thing he had seen living humans doing.

Natalie sat between the two brothers still covered in blood, and was speaking as she stared ahead of her. Every once in a while one of the brothers would intervene and she would glance at them, answer and sometimes they would laugh. Just bursting into laughter for a moment before sitting up again as though nothing happened and speaking to each other once again. When the group stopped for the night, Rick went over to tell them that they would be leaving around six in the morning he found them all eating their own food.

The windows to the truck were up despite the heat and they were talking in hushed tones. Dale said they had been every since Natalie had woken up.

As they finished their food the simultaneously climbed out the truck and sat on the tailgate. Daryl and Natalie smoked cigarettes while Merle smoked whatever shit he had left.

"When ah was five mah daddy bought me mah first rifle." She began and everyone in camp stopped at the sound of her voice cutting through the night air. Everyone had felt bad for Andrea but losing the remaining two members of your family and being undoubtedly raped on the side of the road was just heart wrenching _even_ if she was a surly bitch. "We went huntin' with it when ah was eight'n we got a deer. Ah 'member how mah daddy bragged to everyone 'bout how ah helped him get it. He taught me how ta skin it that night too. Provided ah was eight ah did a damn good job."

"Yer dad was a good man Natalie. He cared about ya 'n Max." Daryl spoke gruffly.

"Who did it?" She asked quietly.

"Did what?" Merle asked.

"Shot mah daddy."

"Ah did." Merle confessed.

"'N who shot Max?"

"Ah did." Daryl tried not to make her made at either of them. She nodded and stared into the distance.

"Ya know when ah thought ah was going to die, all ah thought about was how ya guys would never know what happened to me, how it was all that bitch Andrea's fault. Did they tell y'all that after ah was handcuffed she shot off a round? She got me goin' in the first goddamn place."

Merle stood up and went into the woods saying that he had to go piss. After a moment Natalie began to cry. Daryl didn't know what to do as she put her head on his shoulder and sobbed into the fabric of his shirt. He tensed up at her touching him but after a moment of her being there he relaxed slightly.


	9. Fuck The CDC

**A/N Thank you to everyone who helped me out of my writers block with so many good ideas, especially Demi187 whose idea I'm using :) Please R&R! Disclaimer: I do not own the walking dead only my OC. **

When Natalie awoke it was to the sound of Merle tapping on the window. Swearing loudly she emerged from the car and realized instantly what she was wearing, a pair of Daryl's boxers and Merle's tank top with no shoes on. It had turned out the Dixons had left her bag with her clothes in it back at the camp and brought the one with her undergarments, socks, a pair of jeans and brush hot cement felt good on her feet and she stretched to relieve her back of its knots.

Rick walked over and she flipped him off but he still kept coming. She smirked when she saw his still slightly battered face. "Natalie I am so sorry, we went back for you, you know."

"That's just 'cause ya couldn't live with yaself." She muttered as she ran a brush through her birds nest of hair. She moved around a lot in her sleep and instantly felt bad for Daryl and Merle when she had fallen asleep on them.

"Your right, I couldn't live with myself because I knew I was a coward for running and leaving you there. You saved my life and all I did was throw yours away. I can never forgive myself for that." Natalie looked at his swollen face. He had been punished enough, he had still tried to help her by chaining the roof. That was good enough for now.

"'S fine." She stated and brushed him off as she went over to see Daryl who was cleaning his crossbow in the bed of the truck. Se climbed up beside him and picked up one of his knives.

"Thanks."

"Fer what?" He glanced up only to ask her the question.

"Fer helpin' me while ah'm actin' like a damn pussy."

"'S no problem. 'Sides ya ain't actin' like a damn pussy." He muttered.

"Still, thanks."

Merle approached and she climbed out of the bed of the truck. "Whats the plan?" She asked as she caught the bottle of water he threw at her.

"Those asses are thinkin' the CDC." He nodded his head towards the RV.

"That's so stupid. 'Sides CDC runs on fuel, once its out the damn thing implodes pretty much." Natalie shook her head at the thought. "We oughta head to the hills."

Merle nodded before wandering over to one of the abandoned cars. Then Andrea came over. At the sight of her, Natalie's blood boiled and Daryl had to grab her and hold onto her to keep her from killing the blonde.

"The hell do ya want?" He barked.

"To say that I'm sorry, what I did was wrong-"

"Like hell it was wrong!" Natalie snorted.

"Well I'm sorry okay!" Andrea shouted getting everyone's attention. Natalie smirked when she saw Andrea's face was puffy and swollen and she held her ribs with a huge red bump on her forehead.

Daryl released Natalie who stalked forward and whispered in Andrea's ear. "Ah hold grudges to the death, cross me again and ah won't hesitate. Ya look at me wrong and ah'll rip yer head off."

The blonde retreated but Natalie followed. "CDC's the worst place ta go ya know it runs on fuel right? Runs out 'n the damn thing implodes."

Daryl said he was going hunting and Natalie went with him after putting her jeans on. She didn't want to be alone with people she couldn't stand while Merle flirted with them.

Daryl like how she didn't talk or scare of game by complaining. They broke into a clearing and each of them stopped walking.

In front of them was a large house with a black eight foot tall fence surrounding it. There were solar panels on the food as well, it was perfect. A few walkers banged on the fence at the thought of food.

Natalie laughed slightly as she took them out and opened the gate slightly.

"Fuck ya!" She muttered as she held the gate open for Daryl. The two progressed slowly up the trampled and weedy gravel pathway to the house. It was made of stone and loomed over them, blackness behind each window.

Opening the mahogany door slowly, Daryl walked inside hesitantly, his crossbow raised. There weren't any sounds from the house but they cleared every room together.

Natalie pushed open the door to the master bedroom and grinned "Who the fuck even lived like this? This place is twenty times bigger than mah house."

Daryl was silent and gazed around the room. The walls were deep set red with a king sized bed in the center of the room and an extremely comfortable looking couch on the wall. A flat screen tv was mounted on the wall and there were huge dressers which Natalie flung open.

She pulled up an expensive pair of jeans and held them up to herself and smirked. "Mah size, ah guess they knew ah was coming."

Daryl smirked and walked over into the kitchen. There were about twenty cans of beans and soups, with a box of water beside it. Opening the liquor cabinet Natalie grinned and pulled out a bottle of Yukon Jack whiskey.

"Booyah!" Daryl grinned at the sight of it and looked into the cabinet. There were at least ten other bottles of liquor in it along with a few packs of cigarettes in a cabinet.

"We oughta go get Merle." Natalie stated as she began to leave the house.

"'Nd of the others?" Daryl asked as he shouldered his crossbow.

"Demand payment." She said rather offhandedly as she walked across the yard. On the way back Daryl got a few squirrels and Natalie got a plump rabbit.

They made it back to the highway and told Merle quietly what they had found. The three agreed they would ask for three gallons of gas, that the three of them would share the master bedroom, and that their food would be cooked for them as well as laundry.

"Yo Rick!" Merle yelled from across the highway. The man looked up exasperatedly and asked what they wanted.

The man agreed almost instantly to the agreement and soon the caravan of cars was traveling up the hidden driveway that led to the house. The women instantly hurried into the house and began to look around.

Natalie and Daryl found Lori saying how beautiful the master bedroom was and they each scoffed.

"Rick this is beautiful! Carl can sleep over on the couch and oh this is great Rick!" She was commenting as he husband looked at the ground. He hadn't told Lori that they weren't getting the master bedroom.

"'Nd where'll we sleep?" Merle asked staring at Lori.

"On the couches in the living room." She said as though it was the most obvious thing as she rolled her eyes.

"Ah know that ah would prefer a bedroom." Natalie said pointedly as she strolled into the room.

"I'm sorry." Lori looked sympathetically at the two of them as she sat on the bed.

"Get out of mah room." Natalie barked suddenly and Lori gasped.

"Your room? This is our room. Tell her Rick!" She cried and shook her head.

"Sorry Lori, I had to promise them that they would have the room if the group could stay in the house." Rick mumbled.

"That is absurd! What are they going to do in this room?"

"The same thing ya were. Well, 'cept having sex with each otha 'cause that'd just be awkward." Merle leered at her as Lori got up and stormed out of the room with Rick following after her like a lost puppy.

After a bit, the group was settled in. T-Dog and Glenn in one room, Jacqui, Carol and Sophia in another, Andrea and Dale in another, Rick, Carl and Lori in the one on the first floor with the rednecks in the master suite on the second floor. Shane would be sleeping on the couch just like Lori had told the rednecks to.

When Merle found the liquor cabinet he downed half a bottle of whiskey before his brother and Natalie had to carry him back to their room. Natalie had set to work cutting the jeans into Daisy Dukes and laughed when a drunken Merle had told her to just screw the pants and walk around in her underwear.

Natalie and Daryl sat on stools in the kitchen drinking as clothes were converted into theirs; flannels cut and jeans shredded. The rest of the group was in the living room doing who knows what.

When each of them had had their fill of alcohol they stumbled to their room, Natalie going over to the couch and Daryl the bed after asking if she wanted to switch and she just scoffed and told him to fuck off.

"Daryl?" Her voice cut through the darkness and he grunted in response.

"Yer hot." At that confession, the man sat straight up in bed and stared at her through the darkness. All he was met with was the snores of his brother and Natalie's soft breathing that only came with sleep.

Had she meant it or was it just the alcohol talking? He thought as he laid back down, before shaking the thought from his head and going to bed.


	10. Well Yer Fuckin' Mah Brotha

It was around noon the next day and there was no signs of life from the rednecks room. Every time someone passed the room they would listen for anything but were only rewarded with soft snores and rustling covers. Thanks to the solar panels the house had enough electricity to turn lights and the stove on but that was all.

Daryl awoke first and even then he held his pounding head. He hadn't had any liquor in almost two months and now he was full of it. His mind went to what Natalie had said the night before but he shook it from his mind.

Daryl got out of bed and slipped on a pair of brown pants with holes in his knees and a new blue flannel shirt. As he buttoned up his shirt he glanced over at Merle who was lying on his stomach his head lying on his shoulder and his snores filling the room. As Daryl pulled on his shoes he looked to Natalie who was lying on the pull out couch on her back. He noticed that she still had a bit of blood on her legs from what he could tell from his boxers she had pretty much stolen from him to use as sleep shorts after complaining that the house only had good jeans and they had flannel sleep pants that she refused to wear. Her brunette hair was lying across her face and she suddenly moved her leg and there was a slight jangle from the handcuff she still had on her left wrist. The movement from he leg propelled her forward and she fell from the bed in a mess of blankets and Natalie.

"The hell?" She mumbled as she sat up. "Did ah get hit by a truck Daryl?"

"Nah ya just had a quarter of a bottle a whiskey. Then fell out of bed." Was his reply and she held her head.

"Motherfucker!" She cried as she stood up and saw two of everything. "Ah haven't had a drink since ah got back from bein' discharged."

Daryl smirked as she took an aspirin and pulled her new pair of shorts out of her dresser along with a grey tank top she had found and walked into the bathroom and emerged half a second later.

"Yer hair looks very nice." Daryl teased pointing to her rats nest of hair.

"Shuddup!" She groaned and threw his boxers which caught him in the face. She laughed and picked up her brush and unceremoniously ripped at her hair.

Merle moaned from the bed and sat up grumbling something about food. He was completely unfazed by the alcohol as he got up grabbed his clothes and changed in the bathroom.

"Ah fuckin' want some food." Merle stated as he came out of the bathroom.

"'Nd people in Hell want slurpees." Daryl murmured and Natalie laughed at it. He glanced up and smirked as she threw Merle's wife beater at him.

"Ah wanna a slurpee and ah'm in Hell." She whined before laughing and standing up and holding her head slightly. The aspirin was kicking in and she was beginning to feel better.

The three padded down the stairs and into the kitchen where Carol was making lunch of canned corn and beans and squirrel.

Glenn and T-Dog had gone scavenging a little while before. Dale and Andrea were moving back into the RV until Andrea stopped mourning since she woke everyone up with her sobs, so Shane was moving into their room. Lori and Jacqui were washing clothes and the others were fortifying the fence and looking for firewood. Carl and Sophia were playing the yard and at the sight of that Natalie frowned. Neither of them had weapons on them, not even a small knife.

She kept it to herself though as she ate the cold mushy beans and water soaked corn. The squirrel was quite good which Natalie smirked when she remembered her and Daryl getting.

Natalie noticed Merle sitting and staring out the window so she sat down beside him.

"What are ya doin'?" She asked as she took a sip of her water bottle.

"Tryna figure out who here ah can fuck." Natalie choked on her own water and had a hard time keeping it down. Everyone glanced over at her as she ran over to the sink and spat it out.

She was laughing so hard she ran into the couch and fell on top of it. After she controlled herself she walked back over to Merle.

"So who is it?"

"Ah don't know yet, prolly that little bitch."

"Ya have a thing fer little girls?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"Nah teeny bitches ma."

"Ew gross. Why her?" She asked taking a cautionary sip of water.

"She's it. Ah mean blond bitch is mourning and shit, Brunette bitch is just that a batch who prolly has crabs now from sleeping with so many guys and yer with Daryl so-"

"Ah'm what?" She cried attracting everyone's attention again.

"Yer fuckin' mah brutha." He stated nonchalantly and looked back out the window.

"No ah am not!"

"Ten why ya want his boxers 'n not mine?"

"'Cause yers would be too big on me Merle! Lord!"

Shaking her head Natalie grabbed her knives and went hunting with Daryl. They hadn't made it far when cries rose up among the trees.

They ran slowly towards it and saw two geeks eating a redbone coonhound that was defending something.

Dispatching the two geeks the two hunters walked forward and Natalie instantly saw it among the grass and leaves. A puppy.

The dog was instantly in her hands and she cuddling with it as she looked at Daryl with big doe eyes. It was just the one, the others were probably eaten.

"Oh Daryl can we keep 'im?" She begged looking like a five year old child.

"What'll Merle say about that?" He asked and she frowned slightly and pursed her lips. Sighing Daryl nodded and the corporal began to pet the dogs flabby head as it tried to borrow closer to her for warmth.

"Hey there lil' ass kicker," Daryl said as he looked at the dog who yawned in response. Grinning Natalie held the puppy out in front of her. It had reddish brown fur and a small flabby face. The dog's nose and eyes were black and had his head resting on Natalie's arm.

When they returned to the house with three squirrels, two rabbits, and a duck, everyone crowded around. They traded the meat for blankets and canned soups and water bottles. When they saw the puppy everyone stared at it but Natalie shielded it and took it over to where the kids were playing in the grass. She knelt down and showed them the puppy and they stroked his head before she carried it inside, the kids following quickly behind her.

She liked kids alright, didn't want her own though. Glenn came in and pulled her away a moment later.

"I am so sorry." He began and looked around nervously. "But I, I brought you these." He handed her a small case of 'Morning After' pills and she told him he had made it right by bringing her them. Telling the kids that the puppy needed warmth and rest she walked into her room and took each of the pills with water.


	11. That Was Spanish, Merle

**A/N Sorry this took so long and is so short but I had some writers block. Any ideas of where this story should go are welcomed with open arms. I want to include the Greene family, but I don't want to go to the farm. Ideas?**

"Yo Natalie!" Merle pounded on the door as Natalie changed.

"Uno momento profavor!" She yelled but the door opened anyway as she buttoned up her shirt. Natalie raised her eyebrow at him.

"Ah dunno any French." He stated and she burst out laughing.

"That was Spanish, Merle. Spanish not French." She shook her head and picked up her little puppy. "Ah think ah'm gonna name 'im Wesson, ya know after Smith 'n Wesson."

Merle nodded at the name before there was a loud cry from outside. Placing the dog down, Natalie and Merle hurried outside to see a single walker. Daryl walked up to it with an annoyed look on his face before taking it out with a bolt.

"Why're y'all screamin' out here?" Merle asked.

"This place isn't safe Rick. We should leave." Lori stated making the rednecks scoff.

"What place is safe?" Daryl pressed as he retrieved his bolt.

"Fort Benning." Shane spoke up.

"Woulda been one of the first places ta go." Natalie stated. "Ah say we fortify this place, build a moat a little ways away from the gates, circle the estate, fill it up with steaks, clean them out in the mornings. Leave enough land left to drive cars over, 'n that way any geeks that get through will run into the gates. Ah'm not sayin' this place is safe, nowhere is eva gonna be safe again. But we can make it safer."

Rick smiled at the small speech she gave and nodded to her as her and the Dixons walked to the back porch. A few moments later the young woman was holding her puppy and it was cuddling to her for warmth. This place really could be the place if they worked towards it. Sending small groups out for supplies while everyone else worked on securing the 'moat' and making wooden stakes. There were bound to be large amounts of goods on the highway. This place could really be it.


	12. Glenn, Mind Out Of The Gutta

**A/N Sorry this took so long, thanks to Demi187 for all your help :)**

Days blended into weeks as they dug the moat, sharpened steaks, went on supply runs and hunted. Every day was full of work and every night full of sleep.

Whenever Rick and Glenn went scavenging, Natalie went with them. When she returned with knee high brown moccasins, daisy dukes, and tank tops and bras, Daryl wanted to know if she knew she was torturing him or not. Her long tan legs, dark brown hair, and her thin arms. Damn it Dixon stop thinking about her, he had to constantly remind himself.

And now she was going out scavenging until the next days evening so she would be spending the night out _there_. As they drove away, a tan hand reached out the window and flipped them off making the Dixons scoff.

Natalie, Rick, and Glenn had been driving for a while when they came across a mess of abandoned vehicles. They climbed out and were looking for a way through when it reached them that they could just take things from the cars instead of heading to the small town.

The redneck had just found a roll of machetes and knives when she heard the sound of an engine. Grabbing Rick and Glenn, they crouched behind a car and glanced over the hood to see a red truck pulling to a stop on their side of the traffic jam. An old man emerged first from the drivers seat followed by two girls. The older woman had short reddish brown hair and the younger girl had blonde hair and looked frightened.

Natalie crept behind the row of cars she was in and then snuck into the woods, emerging behind the truck. Putting her middle finger to her lips, Natalie crept forward and leaned on the front of the truck and yet the three didn't notice her.

The blonde looked so scared at the corpses decaying in the cars it made Natalie snicker. "They ain't the ones ya oughta be 'fraid of."

She snickered as they spun around to face her, fear present on their faces when they saw the knife on her hip and the shotgun in her hands. "Ah want yer shit. Now then step 'way from tha car real slow 'n nobody'll get hurt. Put yer filthy-"

"What the hell Natalie?" Rick reprimanded as he and Glenn stood up. "Stop that right now!"

"Fuck ya." She spat and Herschel watched as the girl rolled her eyes and leaned against the truck. She was filthy, covered in layers of dirt, blood, and sweat, much worse than her companions though.

"My name is Rick Grimes and this is Glenn and that is Natalie." Rick stuck his hand out and the man looked at his daughters before shaking Rick's hand.

"Herschel and these are my daughters Maggie and Beth." He stated warily glancing around at them. He didn't know if they could trust them or not.

"Are you alone? Do you have a group?" Glenn asked quietly removing his hat and wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Our farm was overrun the other day." Maggie stated bluntly and looked at the ground biting her lip which made Natalie scoff. "We lost people."

"Who ain't?" Natalie spat and stalked away.

"We've got a group a couple of miles from here, we're out scavenging for them. We have women, children-" Rick began.

"Men." Natalie snarled protectively from where she was going through a minivan.

"Yes, and men. Supplies, ammo. Protection." Rick finished. "You are welcome to come with us, safety in numbers we believe. In times like these the living have to band together to help beat this."

"Why don't we just bake these assholes a fuckin' cake?" Natalie barked and shook her head.

Herschel glanced around and sighed. He knew that he and his daughters wouldn't stand a chance out here on their own so he nodded. He had no other chose.

"Daddy!" Maggie cried, upset that her father hadn't even considered speaking to her or Beth about this.

"Maggie, we need more people." Herschel reminded her. "We won't last long out here."

"Alright then, just help us gather some supplies and we can head back." Rick opened a trunk just as Natalie squealed in excitement.

"FUCK YEAH!" She had found a white Hummer H2 SUT, a half pick up, half truck. She was grinning as she checked the fuel tank and saw it was half full. After a few moments of going through cars, the ominous moans that always accompanied the dead rose up as they shambled through the jam.

Rick grabbed Natalie and Glenn, pushing them under a car while he ran to go get the Greenes.

The feet, slowly decaying and smelling of death shuffled past them as the two laid under a truck staring at the bare calves. Natalie wrinkled her nose and made gagging expressions which would have made Glenn laugh if it wasn't for the fact that if he did they would die.

After what felt like a lifetime, Natalie and Glenn emerged and saw a single walker straggling in the cars. Smiling Natalie threw a knife at it, embedding it in the once girls frontal lobe. Beth and Herschel looked like they were going to throw up which made Natalie smirk. People as weak as they were would be extinct soon she thought as she pulled the knife from the bone with a jerk.

As she walked past the Greene's to her new vehicle she muttered, "Pussies."

Rick glared at her but she smirked and climbed into the Hummer patting the seat beside her. "Good memories, eh Rick?"

Everyone's eyes bulged as they stared at Rick but Natalie laughed. "Glenn ya lil' pervert. Nah we found one when we left King's County. Damn Glenn, get yer mind out of tha gutta."

"Don't you let the Dixons hear you say anything like that or they'll kill us." Glenn whined at the Greenes paled. There were more of her?

"More like skin ya."She pulled a cigarette pack out of the glove compartment and placed one between her lips. "No not us Glenn, just ya 'n Rick. Soon 'nough we'll be able ta stick Wesson on yer asses when we don't feel like it."

"Shit." Glenn muttered and Natalie grinned, slapping his hat from his head.

"Yer right shit." She grinned and began to drive down the rode, Glenn sitting in the car with Rick and the Greenes following in the rear.


	13. Means Have Sex, Darlin'

**Sorry for the wait!**

Daryl looked up when he heard the sound of engines coming towards them in the distance and put his crossbow down. Standing up he saw that Merle was harassing the short haired woman and the kids were playing with the dog.

Three cars were coming up in the distance, the familiar Grimes' vehicle was behind a huge white truck-thing and behind the Grimes' was a red truck. Everyone stood up and stared as Shane and T-Dog opened the gate and the cars pulled in.

Natalie emerged from the white Hummer and rolled her eyes at the rest of the cars and took a drag of the cigarette she had in her mouth. Her damn beautiful mouth. From the Grimes' car, Glenn and Rick exited and looked at the other truck as the doors slowly opened.

A man with white hair exited the car followed swiftly by a young blonde girl and an older girl with short reddish brown hair.

"This is Herschel and his daughters Beth and Maggie." Rick stated and walked over to his family. Lori smiled at the three people but held Carl closer to her. "They will be staying with us."

"Hi, I'm Lori, Rick's wife, and this is our son Carl." Lori smiled without showing teeth.

"Hey, I'm T-Dog." The large man nodded and smiled welcomly before going back to chopping wood.

"Shane Walsh." Shane ran his hands through his hair and unconsciously rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hi, I'm Carol and this is my daughter Sophia." Carol beamed and held her daughter in front of her.

"Andrea." The blonde smiled sadly and went back to cleaning her gun.

And with that all that remained were the rednecks who were frowning at the newcomers. Natalie still had her cigarette between her lips as she held her dog in her arms but her hand was always itching for one of her knives. Daryl scoffed and rolled his eyes at them and Merle eyeing up the girls which made Herschel step closer to them. Beth blushed and Maggie frowned and stepped closer to her younger sister.

"And you know Natalie, and those two are Merle and Daryl Dixon." Rick tried but they just scoffed him and walked to the back porch.

"Hey Natalie!" Shane yelled. "Wanna help us unload the cars?"

"Nah ah don't really care to. Y'all stay 'way from mah car now will ya? Don't wanna have ta be beatin' anyone up now do we?" She snarled and licked her lips at the thought of a fight.

"We aren't afraid of you guys anymore, Natalie. There are only three of you now not five." Shane taunted and the girl was on him in an instant, dropping the dog into Daryl's unwelcome arms. She punched him in the jaw and he kicked her in the side knocking the air out of her lungs. Natalie ducked as his fist came again before kicking out at his leg but he moved aside and she fell hard but not before she swept his legs sending him flying. The girl stood up and kicked him repeatedly in the exposed stomach until Rick ran at her and pulled her off as she reached for her knife.

He held in a choke hold which made her furious. "Choke hold's illegal ya dick."

"File a damn complaint like your boyfriend." Shane muttered as he stood up and held his head. Rick released Natalie who stalked inside, slamming the door behind her as Daryl and Merle glanced at each other. Daryl walked inside after him and Merle went to speak to the new girl who had caught his eye.

"Hey baby." He winked at Beth before going to the Hummer and opening the back and discovering a few cases of beer Natalie had found. "Wanna drink these 'n go bump some uglies?"

Beth looked at him completely innocently which made him smirk at her. "Means have sex darlin'."

"Don't even look at her!" Maggie pulled her sister away.

"Ooh big sis' jealous. Ya wanna go bump some uglies instead baby?" He called but she kept walking.

* * *

"Natalie?" Daryl walked into the master bedroom where she was pacing in the center of the room and holding her head in her hands. Tears were dripping from her eyes as she paced and she didn't even look up to see who had entered the bedroom. "Natalie?"

"They don't fear us anymore." She stated and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "Mah family has always been regarded fearfully bah outsiders. Not anymore. Not now that it's just me left. Mah brotha and mah dad are dead and gone. Shane was right they aren't here'n we ain't goddamn scary anymore! They're gonna take this roof offa our heads after all we did fer those bastards!"

"Then we do sumthin' ta scare 'em."

"Like fuckin' what?" She snarled but she was listening.


	14. Barterin'

**So sorry for the wait but I have had so much going on and was working on my other TWD story 'The Delinquents'. And yes to my reviewers this is going to be a Meth (Merle & Beth) story. Alright so here you go. **

Whenever Daryl went on hunts, he collected the meat wordlessly. He and Natalie skinned and gutted them before taking them over to a small fire the group would have had going by that time and cook them over that.

They would take the meat aside to be eaten and the group didn't understand why suddenly that they had to pay for their food.

"Bartering." Merle had called it when they complained about it. The group hasn't realized the worth of the hunters and the meat that they brought in.

Lori was always snapping at Rick to do this or that about the rednecks but each attempt only made them angrier and the price for their meat to raise.

The entire group hated Natalie and the Dixons. Herschel was constantly being forced to keep Merle away from his youngest daughter and Rick. Lori and Carol tried to keep their children away from the gruff rednecks since curiosity killed the cat.

The only person who didn't want to kill them was Rick who remembered the Natalie who was empathetic enough to get him out of the hospital safe. He would have died without her and he owed her what was left of his life. She had warned them against wasting gas and going to the CDC. The rednecks had found the house and shared it with them and the group had only treated them harshly.

At dinner one day the group noticed how the rednecks were whispering to each other and drawing things in the dirt with sticks. When Dale had gone over there they covered the drawings with dirt and glared at him.

"We should get rid of them!" Lori cried after that dinner thinking the rednecks would be hunting and not on the back porch only a few feet from her and Shane.

"I know but Rick is just too-" Shane began before Lori hushed him.

"Please Shane, lets not talk about Rick." Lori pleaded.

"Why so ya kin keep fuckin' Shane 'n not feel guilty 'bout it?" Natalie asked her face mere inches from Lori's who gave off a frightened and surprised yelp.

"Oh my god Natalie! You shouldn't sneak up on people!" Lori chastised glancing around to see if anyone had heard them.

"Yeah well ya shouldn't start fuckin' yer husbands best friend before his body is even cold!" Natalie yelled and Rick looked up and stared unbelieving at his wife and best friend who were standing inches away from each other.

Walking away backwards, Natalie grabbed the small dog Wesson and motioned for the other two to follow her inside. They sat on the edge of the bed and spoke quietly.

"Rick is at his breaking point." Merle stated and grinned.

"Shane'n Rick'll be fightin' each otha fer leadership." Daryl pointed out.

"And hopefully kill the losing party." Natalie finished and looked down at the carpet below her. "All we have to do is wait."

"And then we kin rob 'em 'n kick their asses out." Daryl grinned.


	15. That's Tha Way It Always Is

**Alright so my time line of the story right now is right when winter is coming and then around the time when they would find the prison in the show but not in this. Thanks and review?**

The door to the rednecks room was open a few days later and they were lounging on the bed and couch with all the windows open.

Rick knocked slightly on the door and entered looking disheveled. He held a case of beer in his arms.

"I am sorry. We wanted to get rid of you and we never realized your worth, time, and effort into this group. I am sincerely sorry for the way we acted and now I just want to be at peace with you guys again." The three eyed him suspiciously and the man held out the beer. "I brought you guys beer."

"Booyah!" Daryl jumped up and grabbed the case of it, placing it on the top of the dresser.

"Hey Rick," Natalie called and she jogged into the hall with him. "Thanks. Sorry about, uh Lori 'n uh Shane. Ah just thought iffen it was me, ah'd like ta know."

Rick nodded solemnly. "I'm sleeping in the room up there with Carl, and uh Shane and Lori are both sleeping on the couches."

"Poor kid," Natalie shook her head, smiled at Rick and hurried back into the room yelling in happiness. "Hell yeah!"

There were 24 cans in all and the three of them drank all of them. Merle crashed on the bed with Wesson lying on his chest leaving Natalie staring to him with her bottom lip pouting.

"Wesson likes 'im more than he likes me." Daryl smirked and sat on the couch.

"'N Merle hates 'im." Natalie flopped onto the couch and put her feet in Daryl's lap. "Dogs're always like that. We had a dog when we was just lil' boys. Mah dad's huntin' coon. Looks a bit like Wesson."

"What happened ta 'im?"

"Ran off, mah dad beat 'im too much. We saw 'im at one of our neighba's houses a coupla months lata." Daryl leaned back, arching his back and resting his head on the wall. Natalie nodded and then put her head on the pillow.

* * *

When Natalie awoke, Daryl was sleeping on the couch still looking very uncomfortable. The early morning rays of sunshine filtered in through the still opened window along with a warm breeze. Wesson was still perched on top of a snoring Merle, the small dog moving up with every breath the man took.

Carefully pulling her legs away from Daryl the woman tip toed into the bathroom emerging moments later with a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt with the sleeves intact unlike her companion's. Swallowing a few asprins to help her headache, Natalie smirked when the dog awoke and hurried over to her side. Exiting the room the woman ran almost right into Beth was carrying a basket of laundry to be washed.

"Oh I'm sorry!" Beth cried and quickly hurried down the hallway leaving Natalie to roll her eyes and continue on out of the house. In the kitchen there was a bowl of the previous nights stew sitting out where her food was placed. Snatching the bowl she stared at the meager portions and then looked up at Carol.

"Where'd all tha food go?" She asked her eyebrows knitting together the gears in her head turning.

"Oh uh well since we had three new people come we all got less food." The woman fiddled with a kitchen towel shocked when a moment later she got a curt nod and the woman walking outside with the bowl. Slowly walking the perimeter Dale watched as the woman fed the dog bits of the squirrel that Daryl had killed the day before.

When she came to a stop back in front of the house again the woman entered her now prized Hummer and emerged a moment later.

Approaching the RV the woman began to climb up the ladder to see Dale. Wesson barked and wiggled around on the ground but the girl barely glanced over at him. "Sit yer ass down Wesson 'n shut the hell up." And sure enough the dog did as she bid it to.

"Morning Natalie." All he got was a nod of acknowledgement before she glanced over at him.

"Hey Dale?" He glanced over at her urging her to continue. "Do ya think that we'll be safe here?"

"Of course thanks to your ideas and-"

"No ah meant from humans too. How will we stay alive all these months, we barely got 'nough energy ta keep tha lights goin' in that house not 'nough fer tha heat ta come on. We'll havta stop keepin' tha lights on all night." She stated and ran her hands through her long brown hair.

"We'll be fine." He stated and the girl wordlessly slid down the ladder, met her dog and walked back into the house.

**A/N Do you guys have any ideas for where this story? I have been having some writers block lately. Thanks and as always review:)**


	16. Dozens, Comin' This Way

**A/N Hey I'm so sorry about the delay in getting these past few chapters to you! I had some pretty bad writers block but this came to me yesterday. Here you go, please review, favorite or follow! I hope you all are still interested in this!**

Natalie frowned as she looked at Merle. "AC DC is loads better than Black Sabbath!"

"Oh now come on!" Merle objected loudly attracting the attention of the people below him. The two were sitting on top of the RV, and people kept looking up a their voices grew raised.

"How on Earth could ya think that! Ergh!" Natalie snarled looking around for Daryl. She found him hurriedly exiting the house, crossbow on his back. "Hey Daryl!"

He walked over quickly , Wesson on his heels. The dog had grown quite a bit since they had found him and he reached past Daryl's knees in height. Daryl was training him to be a hunting dog and he was better than other dogs Daryl had seen over the years.

"This again?" He barked squinting up to see on top of the RV. "Fine what are they?"

"AC DC or Black Sabbath?" Merle called down. His younger brother thought about it for a moment before looking up again.

"Ah'd havta say AC DC." He stated glancing over at Natalie who was grinning triumphantly.

"Told ya!" She cried, shimming down the ladder dropping in front of Daryl. "Ya look like ya saw yerself a ghost."

"Naw, Shane 'n Rick 're goin' at it again." Natalie raised her eyebrows at that making him shake his head. "Yew knew what ah meant..."

"Ah know, ah know." She grinned and shivered slightly. The weather was getting colder and she had taken to wearing skinny jeans or yoga pants with combat boots and a sweatshirt.

"Cold?" He asked.

"It'll only get colder from here," Natalie replied reaching down to pet Wesson and ending up sitting in the grass petting him. Daryl chuckled as the dog squirmed around like a worm as she petted him. There was a slight glint from the sun and Daryl noticed that the handcuff was still on Natalie's wrist and the dog tags around her neck.

"Ya know what _ah_ think? That we should just kill Shane 'n be done with it." She stated standing up straight again.

"Agreed." Daryl nodded his head and looked back the house. "They never shut up!"

"They are always, now this is how ya put it '_goin' at it_'. Now ah know they ain't on real speakin' terms but things seem pretty serious in physical terms. If ya know what ah mean." She winked at Daryl who just shook his head.

Shane stormed out of the house slamming the door after him and stalking off towards the cars. To go fume, Natalie supposed.

Rick exited the house a moment later and made his way over to Daryl and Natalie.

"Hey uh Natalie can I talk to you for a sec?" She nodded and as her and Rick walked away, she turned to face Daryl raised her eyebrows suggestively before laughing and turning back around to face the right way.

Daryl chuckled and adjusted the strap of his crossbow before heading out to hunt for a bit. Glenn who was talking to the farmer's daughter, Maggie, opened the gate for him and Daryl nodded curtly his thanks.

"Goin' huntin' oughta be back in a few hours." He informed them before walking into the woods surrounding the house. He was as always careful about not stepping in the 'moat' and getting himself skewered by the stakes.

Natalie raised her eyebrow at Rick who had yet to say anything. "I thought it would be helpful if you and I took small groups of people out into the woods to show them the edible stuff. I mean you don't have to but-"

"Sure." She nodded. "Tomorrow? Me you 'n two others. Small groups 're best ah'd say. One of the guys'll probably wanna come to."

* * *

When Natalie awoke it was to the sound of Merle snoring and Daryl moving around in bed. Slipping off the blankets she grabbed the small pile of clothes she had set out the night before and scurried into the bathroom.

Her hair was a mess, from the sweat she got everyday and the dirt and the blood. It looked like a bird had taken up residency inside her hair.

Rolling her eyes she stripped off her clothes and put on new underwear and a pair of yoga pants, a baggy black sweatshirt and combat boots. Carelessly she threw her hair up into a messy pony tail and exited the bathroom and the room. She had to restrain a laugh when she saw how close Daryl and Merle were to one another. The two brothers were about a foot away from one another and they were facing one another as well. If Natalie had a camera she would have taken a picture of the pair.

As always Carol had prepared a pot of coffee which Natalie quickly drank a cup of. She rarely ever got up this early, when the sun wasn't even up yet but she couldn't sleep and figured that she could see who she going with in a few hours.

Rick was already seated outside on a chair and she sat down beside him after slipping out the door wall.

"Morning." He began looking over the yard. Someone was in watch on top of the RV, even though they didn't need a person to be on watch they kept one.

"Who're we takin'?"

"Carol and Sophia." Natalie scrunched her nose in disgust but was silent.

* * *

They were trekking through the woods, Natalie in the front and on the watch for anything edible to eat or anything to hunt or anything that wanted to eat her face off. Behind her Sophia was softly complaining to her mother about being tired and hungry and behind them Rick had the rear. Surprisingly Daryl had not come, he had to hunt again so he had headed out in the opposite direction and Merle had been sleeping when she left.

Then there a single moan. Sophia squeaked and Natalie rolled her eyes as she stalked forward, her knife out in front of her. There was a pistol tucked in the back of her pants but she didn't want to use it.

Easily she took down the walker but just after she saw a few more. And behind those few were another dozen followed by at least five dozen others. Spinning around Natalie grabbed Sophia and shoved her towards her mom roughly. "GO!" She whispered harshly watching the two take off in the direction of the house. Rick looked slightly confused but took off sprinting when Natalie began to run as fast as she could.

"Dozens." That was the only explanation she had for him as they ran and unfortunately rather quickly overcame the mother and daughter. "Goddamn it!" There was no chance that they could all make it back to the house in time. Looking up she pushed Sophia towards a sturdy tree. "Climb!"

Once Carol and Sophia were safely up, Rick climbed as well. "Ah have to go, Daryl's out there 'n he doesn't know!" Natalie stage whispered to him and took off running again, fear gripping her stomach.

Soon all she could hear was the sound of the moans and the. She burst into the clearing where the house was. Glenn was still talking to Maggie at the gate and Natalie ran up to him.

"Dozens, Rick, Sophia and Carol are in trees but ah gotta go get Daryl. Get ready because there's plenty to go around." She breathed before taking off again her legs pumping easily. Her army instincts had taken over. Fight or flight had kicked in and she was sprinting.

By chance Natalie saw Daryl's orange shirt and she changed her course of direction in half a second. Skidding to a stop in front of him, Natalie was half an inch from getting an arrow to her chest. "Dozens of walkers. Climb." Wesson was snarling and Natalie stared at him briefly. "What do we do?"

"Wesson! Go! Go ta Merle!" Daryl urged and the dog took off sprinting in the direction of the house as if he understood the urgency of the situation.

The pair easily scaled two trees and gazed down. About a dozen walkers were milling around below them but more were coming from the direction of the house. They breathed a sigh of relief when they didn't hear loud barks or whines in the distance. That was perhaps the last sound they wanted to hear.

Natalie clung to the tree, if the limb she sitting on was to break- she shuddered at the thought of it.

Daryl watched her as she shook her head and got her face back to its usual hardness. It was a mask she wore much like the one Daryl wore, a mask of cold and hard experience but underneath was what the group couldn't understand- they were people too, just as sensitive as them.

He watched as her hand twitched as if it wanted to throw one of knives at the walkers below them but she refrained. Daryl understood but there were just too many goddamn walkers below them to even make a dent.

Beginning to hyperventilate Natalie had to clasp a hand over her mouth to keep from breathing loudly when a walker looked up and began to reach towards her. She was at least twenty feet up so there was no way one could reach her but she looked so scared.

Without a sound she pulled a knife out of her thigh holster and flung it at the thing that had once been a mechanic. It fell instantly with a knife embedded in its forehead and thankfully didn't alert any of the other walkers around it.

Sighing in momentary relief, Natalie felt like there was some luck coming their way. That was until a small shrill shriek forced her to open her eyes. It came from the direction that Natalie had come from. It had to be Sophia or Carol.

_Natalie was stalking along with the men and another woman soldiers. They were looking for one of their fellow privates who had gone missing the day before. She had been his partner and now he was gone. _

_The young corporal stopped suddenly as well as everyone else. On the ground in front of them was the missing private. His limbs were arranged in an unnatural position and she knew he was dead and that if she had been a better partner, Private Rennolds would not have died. That his family wouldn't have to grieve for him. _

The walkers had moved on, distracted by something exploding way back in Atlanta and the scream.

Locking eyes the pair shimmied down the trees, Natalie collecting her knife and then racing to the house. A dozen or so walkers were attracted by them, making the pair hope the group had cleared the walkers near the house.

Sure enough the moat and the steaks had worked and they were full of walkers reaching out of them.

Shane opened the gate and slammed it when the rednecks sprinted out of the woods. Putting the chain back on it, Shane used the padlock and closed the gate, effectively stopping the groping hands of the walkers that had been following the pair.

Wesson ran from Merle's side to the two. He promptly began to lick Natalie who patted him before angrily slamming her knife into the skulls of the walkers that had followed her through the gate.

After, Natalie sat down in the tall dead grass and began to pet her dog, running her calloused hands over his coat. Tears threatened to drip out but she stealthily wiped them away.

"Rick, Carol and Sophia were in trees. Ah left them to go make sure ya'll and Daryl 'n Wesson knew." Natalie explained and Shane nodded. What she had done was best for the group and he would have no problems with her about it. He may hate her but she had done the right thing in his opinion.

After a while Carol and Rick came to the gates, the former sobbing and she kept pushing Rick away from her. She stumbled on a pot hole and almost ran into the moat but Rick grabbed her just in time.

Shane unlocked the gate and the pair entered. Where was Sophia?

"She left the tree and got chased off by a dozen walkers." Rick explained as Lori grabbed Carol to take her inside.

"And you left her!" The woman cried. "You left her alone in the woods!"

After gathering that Sophia had left the tree prematurely, and a dozen walkers chased her into the woods. Then Rick followed her and then told her to climb a tree and that he would be back in ten minutes. He had led the walkers off and killed them all but when he had returned to the tree there was no sign of Sophia. And yes he was sure it was the right tree because her sweater was resting on it.

"And you! You just ran off!" Carol shrieked at Natalie who stood up full of pent up anger.

"Don't ya talk ta me that way ya bitch! Ah warned Daryl 'n tha group! Ah didn't hear that ya ran off with Rick to be eva so helpful! So why don't ya just shut tha fuck up 'n stop blamin' people when ya oughta be blamin' yer fuckin' self for all of this! So don't ya dare blame this on me or on Rick! Ya didn't do anything!" Natalie bellowed uncaring that there was a herd of walkers not too far away she was pissed. Carol had promptly burst into another bout of tears about halfway through the tirade.

"Don't you talk to her like that!" Lori cried and pulled Carol inside. Natalie began to pace her heels kicking up dirt with every step.

"GODDAMN YA BITCH!" Natalie shrieked before she threw herself on the ground. It felt like just yesterday when Private Jeramy Rennolds had gone missing and then died. She was filled with self loathing for the first time in a year.

**A/N How was it? I know there wasn't very much Merle in this one, hell there wasn't any but he will be appearing in the next few chapters! Review**


	17. After Mah First Husband, John

Natalie sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. The group was heavily divided and with plenty of work to be done back at the house.

The moat needed to be cleaned out and that entire job was left to Merle and Andrea and it had to be done by hand to keep from attracting any other geeks.

Dale was on constant watch for any more herds.

Herschel and Beth had to make more stakes to put in the ground and they were planning on starting a garden so they could be more self-sufficient and not have to take so many scavenging trips.

Lori and Carol made food and did the laundry whenever Carol wasn't sobbing.

Glenn and Maggie were off scavenging at the highway so the group could have sufficient clothes and food for the oncoming winter.

Carl did whatever the hell Carl did, stayed in the house mainly, at least that was what Lori said.

And that left Natalie and Daryl to hunt and to look for Sophia. T-Dog, Rick and Shane were also out looking but so far there had been no progress.

It was steadily getting darker and Daryl already had five plump rabbits and two squirrels on a string. "We oughta head back eh?" Natalie asked not wanting to get turned around in the dark.

"Yeah, ah guess that'd be best." And with that the pair began back, an uncomfortable silence filling the air between them. They both wanted to find Sophia so bad, and whenever one wanted to do something the other, they snapped at each other. Natalie was just relieved that Daryl had agreed this time.

They were passing a tree with a large hole in between its roots when they paused, staring down into the darkness. "Sophia, are ya in there? It's Daryl 'n Natalie, ya in there?"

"Natalie?" Came the whispered response. Relief flooded through them when the girl exited the enormous hole. "Natalie!"

Sophia launched herself into the woman's arms. "We gotcha, don't ya worry, we gotcha." Natalie murmured into the girl's hair recalling when a thin little boy had come out of a ruined home in Afghanistan. How thin he had been.

"I was so scared that I wouldn't ever see Momma again and-" Sophia had to stop because she was sobbing and the adults were walking through the trees, Natalie clutching Sophia as they continued on.

Daryl took Sophia after about ten minutes of walking when Natalie began to huff and puff at the added weight.

* * *

The three emerged from the large cluster of trees, Daryl still holding Sophia in front of the house and Glenn let out a huge sigh of relief. He opened the gate and they entered, Sophia climbing out of Daryl's strong arms and over to her mother. The pair were sobbing and clinging to one another when Rick, Shane and T-Dog emerged from their search. There were two other figures with them, a woman who was probably in her fifties and a young man who looked to be around twenty.

Glenn let them all in and the entire group walked into the living room of the house, where there were seats and lights.

"Thank y'all so much, I thought we were gonna die out there." The woman cooed, looking over at Shane and Rick, completely ignoring T-Dog.

"It wasn't a problem, Ma'am. I'm Shane."

"My name is Rick, and this is my wife Lori and our son Carl."

"T-Dog."

"Hello, I'm Dale."

"Andrea and those two are Carol and Sophia." The blonde woman gestured to the crying two in the corner.

"Welcome, I'm Herschel and these two are my daughters, Maggie and Beth. The group took us in not too long ago."

"Hi, I'm Glenn."

"It's very nice to-" Lori began but Natalie began to cough exaggeratedly. "Oh, it seems I've forgotten a few members."

"Got that fuckin' right." Natalie snarled. It wasn't that she wanted to tell the woman her name, she just didn't like her and her 'family' to be forgotten. "Ah'm Natalie."

"Merle Dixon baby." He winked at her.

"Daryl Dixon."

"Oh great, we have more backwoods people here, I thought I was gonna be the only one out of all y'all." The woman smiled at all of them. "This is my son John after my first husband and I'm Lacey Adkins, after my first husband. Did any of you three know him?"

Natalie began to shake from where she was standing between the brothers.

Rick felt his throat constricting as he thought of when he met Natalie._ "US Army Corporal Natalie Adkins." _Glenn's mouth dropped open when he recalled when he had first met the rednecks. _"John Adkins, this is mah son Max." _

Daryl stared at the woman his heart beating so fast in his chest when he remembered what Natalie had muttered on the day of the crash._ "Not that ah would know."_

Daryl and Merle exchanged a look over Natalie's head before grabbing her upper arms to keep her from running forward. Her face was turning red and the woman was still oblivious until Natalie screamed.

"YOU SELFISH MOTHERFUCKIN' WHORE! YA LEFT ME! YA LEFT ME 'N MAX 'N DAD ALONE! AH DON'T EVEN FUCKIN' REMEMBA YA 'CAUSE YA LEFT LIKE THE CHEAP HIGHWAY WHORE THAT YA ARE! 'N NOW YA JUST PARADE IN HERE LIKE YA NEVA DID ANYTHIN' WRONG! AH OUGHTA KILL YA, YA KNOW THAT? AH OUGHTA DO LIKE AH ALWAYS PLANNED! TELL YA TA GET THA FUCK OUGHTA HERE 'FORE AH KILL YA!" She shrieked as she fought with the Dixons to let her go.

"Is that you Natalie?" Lacey Adkins asked as if oblivious to her daughters words. Tears were spilling over and she stepped forward, raising her hand as if to touch her daughter's face. Natalie spat right on her face, her hatred evident to everyone in the room. Her brown eyes raked her mother's lean body and she scoffed.

"Ya wouldn't even recognize yer own daughter, that's how much of a slut ya are." The Dixons let go of her arms and the girl walked forward, stalking into her room, slamming the door behind her. No one moved a muscle as they heard things slamming and shattering in the room.

**A/N I still don't really know who Natalie looks like (celebrity-wise) but her mom looks like an older version of Connie Britton and her brother, John looks like Jared Padalecki. **

**Thanks and give me a review because they make writing this so much easier! **


	18. Ya Kin Talk Ta Us Now

**Sorry for the wait and how short this one is, leave a review!**

When Daryl entered the room after Merle he saw Natalie throwing a drawer from the dresser against the wall, clothes falling from it. Wesson was whining from the bed, distraught at his owner's obvious distress.

Natalie didn't notice the brothers come in until Merle crossed the room and put his hand on her shoulder. She startled and looked up at him with wide angry eyes.

"'S gon be alright darlin'." Merle murmured to her and Daryl stared. He had never seen his brother being so kind to a woman before.

Her mouth began to tremble and she was suddenly clinging to Merle sobs racking through her body.

"Darlin' its alright, yer gon be fine." She sobbed loudly at this her whole body shaking.

"Hey hey hey now quit yer cryin'. Ol' Merle don't like it when ya cry darlin'. Ya kin sleep in mah spot tanight." Natalie separated from him and nodded, tears still running down her cheeks.

She smiled slightly at him before grabbing a handful of clothes from the floor and slipping into the bathroom. She emerged a moment later and Daryl noticed that in the heap she had grabbed Merle's tan button up shirt and Daryl's boxers.

She wordlessly walked over to the bed and sank into the covers, pulling them up to her belly button. When she got a strange look from Daryl she gave him a smirk. "Max always tol' me that ah shouldn't put tha covas too far up er ah'd get tangled up in 'em 'n fall outta bed. 'N mah dad would come in mah room when 'e thought ah was asleep and when ah asked 'im 'bout it 'e said it was 'cause he was 'fraid ah was gonna leave like-" But she couldn't go on any farther and began to tear up. Awkwardly Daryl put his arm up and wrapped it around her when she suddenly slid over in the bed and sobbed into his chest. God he hated it when women cried especially Natalie.

After a bit she stopped and Daryl thought she was sleep but he couldn't get comfortable for the life of him. By then Wesson was slightly snoring beside the loud Merle, having positioned himself on the couch for the night.

"Daryl?" Natalie murmured in his chest. "Ya 'wake?"

"Yeah."

"Ah was just thinkin' how do ah treat this half-brutha o' mine?" She shifted then, moving her head up to rest on his shoulder.

"Give 'im a hazin' iffen 'e wants ta hang around with us." Natalie laughed at that and in the dark Daryl saw her eyes sparkle with mischief.

"Like what would ya classify Nirvana as?" She asked recalling the argument when she hasn't talked to Daryl or Merle for a week. "Or AC/DC or Guns 'N Roses?"

Her two all time favorite 'classic rock' bands. Nirvana was her favorite 'grunge' and possibly the only one she ever listened to.

* * *

In the morning, Natalie exited the room before either of the brothers were up and padded barefoot into the kitchen. As always Carol had prepared a pot of coffee and she was pouring herself a cup when she heard someone coming in from outside. Glancing up, Natalie saw her _half_ brother walk in the glass door wall.

Wordlessly she placed the coffee pot back in its spot and leaned against the counter holding the warm cup in her hands.

"I never knew I had a sister until yesterday. Lacey hardly talks about anything from before I was born." He muttered as he grabbed the pot and poured himself a cup. "What was he like? Our brother I mean."

"_My_ brother was thirty when 'e died. 'E was a mechanic like mah dad, all the girls loved him, 'e was such a show off. 'E was mah best friend." Natalie finalized her statement by taking a sip of the black coffee. "Did ah have any other siblin's ya know of?"

"She married a guy that had a lotta money and a son so I had a step-brother. He was a dick though."

"Ain't all rich kids?" At that she got a smirk from her brother and he shook his head.

"Yeah."

"Which band is betta, AC/DC er Guns 'N Roses?"

After a few moments of thinking, John looked up. "AC/DC."

"Welcome ta bein' able ta talk ta us." Natalie smirked as the Dixon brothers exited their room. Daryl stared at Natalie as she drank coffee beside her half brother and was laughing softly.


End file.
